Category: Roots Manuva

Rodney Hylton Smith, better known by his stage name Roots Manuva (born 9 September 1972), is an English rapper and producer. Since his debut in 1994, he has produced numerous albums and singles under his label Big Dada, achieving commercial success with albums such as Run Come Save Me and Slime & Reason. He has been described as “one of the most influential artists in British music history.” His most recent studio album, Bleeds, was released in October 2015.

Any Gorillaz fans will recognize the name Roots Manuva, he gave a spectacular performance on their song All Alone on their crown jewel Demon Days. He’s a big deal in the UK, but kinda unheard of up here in Canada. But he should be played a lot more! His sound can go from anything to fun alt hip hop: ex. Join The Dots to introspective sad rap much like the stuff coming out of Seattle (Grieves comes to mind) such as songs like Sinny Sin Sins where he talks about his Pentecostal upbringing. He can also do songs that capture hearts much like Method Man’s You’re All I Need, Roots has Dreamy Days a ballad like love song sure to be relatable to more than a few. Bring it all together with muddy, dark, and often overpowering beats and we get Run Come Save Me, a hip hop album not to be missed.